Chinese Almond Chicken Recipe
User Reviews
4.7
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Prep Time
35 mins
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Cook Time
20 mins
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Total Time
55 mins
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Servings
4 people
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Calories
435 kcal
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Course
Main Course
Chinese Almond Chicken Recipe
Description
The recipe starts by tenderizing and marinating boneless, skinless chicken breasts in kosher salt, pepper, and dry sherry to add moisture and flavor. The batter, made from flour, baking powder, and beaten eggs, coats the chicken pieces before frying them in vegetable oil until crisp. Concurrently, a savory sauce is prepared by simmering chicken broth with sliced shiitake mushrooms, soy sauce, butter, and a cornstarch-water slurry to achieve a thick gravy-like consistency.
Once cooked, the crispy chicken is combined with the sauce, then served over shredded iceberg lettuce and rice noodles. The presentation invites a balance of textures: the tender but crispy chicken, the crunchy almonds sprinkled on top, and the fresh crunch of lettuce. Scallions provide a mild onion flavor as garnish. This meal showcases typical Chinese-American recipes emphasizing fried proteins with rich, thick sauces and fresh vegetables.
Ingredients
- 2-4 chicken breast depends on size, boneless skinless
- kosher salt coarse
- black pepper coarse
- 1 cup dry sherry
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons water
- 3 cups chicken broth low-sodium
- 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms , sliced
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 12 tablespoons all-purpose flour divided
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 egg lightly beaten
- vegetable oil enough to fill 1 inch of a Dutch oven
- 1 iceberg lettuce shredded, head
- 1/3 cup almonds sliced
- 4 scallions ,sliced diagonally for garnish
- rice noodles Chinese style
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat tenderizer, pound breasts to approximately 1/2 inch uniform thickness. Pieces may be very large, in this case, cut in half.
- Place in a baking dish large enough for them to fit in a single layer. Season to taste with salt and pepper and cover with cooking sherry. Set aside until ready to cook, a minimum of 30 minutes.
- In bowl, whisk together 4 tablespoons cornstarch with 4 tablespoons water until smooth.
- In a heavy bottom saucepan, heat the chicken broth, mushrooms, dark soy sauce, unsalted butter and cornstarch mixture over low heat. Whisk until smooth. Sauce should start to thicken and mushrooms will cook down. Do not bring to a boil, whisk every 2-3 minutes while making the chicken. When it reaches a gravy consistency, remove from heat or place on a "warm" setting.
- In a shallow bowl or pie plate, whisk 6 tablespoons of the flour, baking powder and eggs. This mixture will be very thick. If it is so think you won't be able to dredge chicken through it, add a small amount of milk or water, but make sure it isn't too watery, you want it to stick to the chicken.
- In a shallow dish or bowl place the remaining 6 tablespoons all purpose flour and lightly season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat 1-2 inches of vegetable oil in a large heavy bottom skillet over medium-high heat or 325°F using a deep fry thermometer.
- Remove the chicken from the sherry marinade and lightly coat each chicken breast in the flour and then dredge in the egg batter. Carefully lower into hot oil. Depending on size, chicken will take from 5-7 minutes per side. Remove to a wire rack suspended over baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm. Continue with remaining chicken breasts. The cooking time can vary considerably depending on the heat of the oil and size of the chicken. Chicken needs to be an internal temperture of 165°F.
- Place the chicken onto a cutting board and cut using hard strokes and a cleaver. Create a bed of iceberg lettuce, top with a piece of chicken, mushroom gravy, scallions, almonds and Chinese rice noodles.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 435 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 435kcal | 22% |
| Carbohydrates | 29g | 10% |
| Protein | 33g | 66% |
| Fat | 20g | 31% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Cholesterol | 176mg | 59% |
| Sodium | 1315mg | 55% |
| Potassium | 800mg | 17% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 535IU | 11% |
| Vitamin C | 15.9mg | 18% |
| Calcium | 96mg | 10% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
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